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Jedi Order
"For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic." :―Obi-Wan Kenobi A Jedi was a member of the Jedi Order, who studied, served and used the mystical energies of the Force; more specifically, the light side of the Force. The Jedi fought for peace and justice in the Galactic Republic, often against their mortal enemies, the Sith, who studied the dark side of the Force. Although the Order was almost destroyed twice, first by the Sith Empire of Darth Revan and 4,000 years later by the Great Jedi Purge of Darth Sidious, the Order lived on due in large part to the efforts of Luke Skywalker, who forged a New Jedi Order to defend first the New Republic, and later its successor, the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. History Of the Jedi :"Remember, a Jedi fights only as a last resort. If you are forced to draw your lightsaber, you have already forfeited much of your advantage. A Jedi trusts the Force and at first seeks other ways to resolve problems: patience, logic, tolerance, attentive listening, negotiation, persuasion, calming techniques. But there are times when a Jedi must fight." :―Luke Skywalker to his students. : Originally formed as a philosophical study group situated on the planet Tython, the Jedi became revered as guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. As mystical wielders of the Force and of their glowing, signature lightsabers, their powers inspired all citizens in the galaxy. The calm, considered demeanor of the Jedi made them ideal brokers of peace in times of conflict or dispute. Yet, for all their power and diversity, the Jedi were few. Often beset by foes in times of doubt and confusion, undercurrents of evil often challenged their order and the establishment they served, the most notable being the Sith. These dark warriors were the antithesis of the Jedi, their sworn enemies, and the battle between them brought the galaxy to war more than once. In times of crisis, the Sith could even use the dark side of the Force to diminish the powers of the Jedi, and prevent them from sensing the future. The main entrance into the Temple, flanked by huge bronze statues of the ancient Jedi known as the Four Masters: The way of the Jedi had become the way of wisdom and patience, backed by swift and decisive action when necessary. However, the Jedi Council sometimes showed what appeared to be a lack of decisiveness, such as during the Mandalorian Wars, preferring to work with events and patterns over the long term. Their inaction spurred Revan to fight back, and eventually led to the Jedi Civil War. To the rest of the galaxy, the line between Jedi and Sith became blurred during the conflict, and both sides were blamed for the destruction wrought on worlds such as Katarr, Telos IV, and Dantooine. Through intricate planning and dazzling adaptability, one Sith Master (Senator Palpatine of Naboo) even rose to the office of Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, engineered a war, and undermined the Jedi until he could, in one swift, masterful stroke, destroy the Jedi Order and enslave the galaxy beneath his banner as Emperor. Yet even this catastrophe failed to eradicate the Jedi completely, and, within a generation, they had returned to once again protect and nurture the galaxy with their wisdom and guidance. The Jedi were a source of morale for the New Republic. Path :"You have chosen the lonely path. The Jedi teach denial of self. That is their weakness. No sentient can long abide that." :―Saes Rrogon, Jedi-turned-Sith Lord Becoming a Jedi required the most profound commitment and astute mind. The life of a Jedi was one of sacrifice. To hinder transgression, those who showed an aptitude for the Force were taken directly from birth (or soon afterward) to train in the Jedi Temple headquartered on Coruscant or at smaller Jedi Enclaves as Padawans. From the beginning of their training, a Jedi was expected to adhere to a strict Code that included concepts such as rational thought, patience, and benevolence. Negative emotions such as hate, anger, and fear were thought to be destructive and lead to the dark side, so such things were banned from Jedi practice. Training : :"Master Ooroo, I have ''been very busy here with my tasks as a Jedi Knight…I certainly miss the days of my peaceful tutelage." "Yes, but a Jedi must learn ''action as well as knowledge…''" :―Jedi Knight Odan-Urr and his Master, Ooroo Children being trained as Jedi were called Younglings and instructed in "clans" by a venerable, experienced Jedi Master, learning the ways of the Jedi and the powers of the Force. After Ruusan it had become normal that the Jedi trainees were always children. Once Yavin 4 had been established as Jedi headquarters, the Jedi initiates, which were no longer children, were trained first under the direction of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, and, in time, under another Master's direction in groups. When the New Jedi Order began, the younglings were again trained in clans from childhood. When an individual student achieved satisfactory understanding of the Jedi way, they were usually taken under the wing of another Jedi member and instructed individually to complete their training. Masters typically brought their Padawans along on missions, and later sent them on missions of their own, to allow them to gain experience and learn from practice. Not all students were promoted to direct study as Padawan under a Jedi Master. In the days of the Old Republic, it was common practice for younglings who were not selected to be Padawans by the age of 13 to be shifted into one of the divisions of the public service organization, the Jedi Service Corps. Such was to be the fate of young Obi-Wan Kenobi until the events at Bandomeer caused Qui-Gon Jinn to accept Obi-Wan as his Padawan. Jedi Way of Life :"Training to become a Jedi is not an easy challenge, and even if you succeed, it's a hard life." :―Qui-Gon Jinn In following the Code, Jedi behavior was rigidly structured to uphold self-discipline, responsibility, and public service. The Jedi conquered emotions and materialism. They honored life, the law, the order itself and the master-student relationship. Jedi rendered aid to support and defend the weak; compassion was "encouraged." Rules of engagement included such notions as understanding the dark and light in all things, learning to see accurately, opening their eyes to what was not evident and exercising caution, even in trivial matters. Above all, Jedi upheld their duty to the Republic and embraced the Force. The Jedi before the Ruusan Reformation typically had more leeway in their dealings, as the Order was more loosely organized and the individual Knights and Masters granted greater personal freedom. Afterward, the Order was more centrally regulated by the High Council. Early Jedi were known to utilize shields and armor to protect themselves in battle, and used blaster pistols as well as lightsabers in combat. Later, as the lightsaber became a more self-contained weapon without an external power pack, the Jedi chose to carry it as their sole "tool" of defense and offense. The lightsaber was considered more a tool than a weapon. The lightsaber came to fulfill both a symbolic and pragmatic role for the Jedi; it identified the wielder, had a powerful visual impact, and given the availability of cybernetic replacement limbs might have been seen as a more 'clean' weapon than the blaster, which Obi-Wan regarded as "uncivilized," "clumsy" and "random." The Jedi of the pre-Reformation era, (Old Jedi Order), also do not seem to have had any formal dress code, and dressed more or less as they saw fit, although traditional robes were favored by most Masters. These included a tunic, a cloak, and sometimes a tabard—usually in varied tones and shades of white and brown, though, gray was also quite common for the overtunic. The left side of the dress was always turned on the right part of the torso. After the Reformation, these robes became the typical Jedi clothing, even in battle. The Jedi also wore trousers, an obi, a leather utility belt, where they carried specialized field gear for their missions, and leather boots. The Jedi colors, which showed harmony with the Force, formed a stark contrast to the antithetical Sith, who were draped primarily in black. In accordance with their philosophies of non-attachment, clothing was viewed as quite disposable. Indeed, possession itself was seen as forbidden as another form of attachment, and most Jedi lived out lives of material poverty, though the Order's infrastructure and the support of the Republic meant the Jedi did not lack for food, housing, or clothing. Post-Ruusan Jedi were forbidden to hold strong attachments, as they were believed to lead to the emotions of the dark side. For this reason, Jedi were not allowed to marry. Reess Kairn had an attachment, despite this being a violation of the code. After finding his lover with another man, he killed them both in anger. This led him to the dark side. Anakin Skywalker would become testament to such Jedi circumspection, as his fear of losing his undisclosed wife, Padmé Amidala, ultimately caused his fall to darkness, but his connection to his son, Luke Skywalker, would later drive him back to the light. Although Jedi were not required to be chaste as well, many Jedi were due to sex being considered self-indulgence and an unnecessary act. At least one special case was recorded in this arrangement: Ki-Adi-Mundi who, due to low Cerean birth-rates, was permitted to have a polygamous marriage, and fathered seven daughters. Ranik Solusar was disciplined by the Council for his marriage and the child it produced, but was not expelled from the order. Despite this restriction, Jedi were known to have secret, clandestine relationships, whether with non-Jedi, such as the marriages of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Quinlan Vos and Khaleen Hentz, and Etain Tur-Mukan and Clone Commando Darman; or within the Jedi Order itself—such as the relationships of Kit Fisto and Aayla Secura, Qui-Gon Jinn and Tahl, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Siri Tachi, and Tholme and Tr'a Saa. Many of these relationships did not lead to mishap. Further, Revan shared a romantic affection with Bastila Shan, who was redeemed by him after her fall. Others openly defied the High Council on this matter. This led to particular strife with Jolee Bindo and his wife, Nayama Bindo, during the Great Sith War. Bindo trained his wife in the ways of the Force, but she soon fell to the dark side. He was not expelled from the order, and instead was to be promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight. He then lost faith in the wisdom of the Council and left the order. Up to the Ruusan Reformation, some Jedi did practice marriage and were known to have families of their own. There were even cases of families consisting entirely of Jedi, such as that of Andur Sunrider. The children of Jedi families were often gifted in the Force. Even later in the order, such families existed—though the continuation of the line was through those family members who did not become Jedi. Famous Jedi families of the late Republic included the Koon family and the Diath family. However, it appears that some Jedi might have been granted the right to marry, not as a special case, but as a norm. Several Corellian Jedi (Keiran Halcyon and Nejaa Halcyon during the Old Republic, and Corran Horn in the time of the New Republic) were allowed to marry and raise children without repercussion. Whether this was due to an agreement between the Jedi and the planetary government—Corellia is known for its family-centric culture—or purely personal choices made against the Jedi Code is not known. However, as Corellian Jedi often had many other noticeable differences from the traditional Jedi ways, such as in clothing and a reluctance to take on missions outside of their home system, it is possible that Corellian Jedi were allowed to engage in practices that had been banned by the Council in later years. By the time of the New Jedi Order, the practice of forbidding or discouraging marriages had been discarded, as many of the Order's members had spouses and children, including the Order's grand master himself, whose wife was another Jedi Master. The way of the Jedi was a life-long path, and a Jedi usually remained part of the Order their entire life—learning more about the Order and the Force and following the will of the Jedi Council. Up until the beginning of the Clone Wars, only twenty Jedi (of rank Master or higher) were said to have ever left the Order (although there is some debate as to whether this means the post-Ruusan Order, the Order after some earlier point in its history, or literally in its entire history), of which the most prominent were Count Dooku and Master Phanius. These were commonly referred to as the Lost Twenty, or simply "The Lost". The Force :"My ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is." :―Yoda The Jedi were unified by their study of the Force: an "energy field" that emanated from every living thing. The Jedi sought to understand the Force so that they could use its power to protect and aid the people that they served. The Jedi believed that the Force could be harnessed through careful study and contemplation to benefit the user and the universe around them. As they studied the light side of the Force, the Jedi encouraged their members only to use the Force for healing and defense—never in anger or fear. However, several members of the Jedi order throughout history disagreed with this view, believing that darker uses of the Force should be embraced because they offered a quick and easy path to power, while contemplation of the light side of the Force required patience and effort. This disagreement gave rise to the Sith, the constant enemy of the Jedi. The Jedi focused their lives on understanding and strengthening their connection, or oneness, with the Force to allow them to manipulate it as an extension of themselves (by contrast, Sith merely exercise control over the Force). This connection was increased by rigorous training and meditation to achieve a state of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual harmony, a kind of inner peace. As the path required such great discipline and may have extended a Jedi's life, most Jedi never reach their true potential. Further attempts to achieve this potential may have met with failure and caused frustration in Jedi, resulting in a lesser connection and more frustration in turn. This is the main reason why the Sith considered themselves stronger than the Jedi, for whereas they were trained to use the dark side with maximum effectiveness and power, few Jedi had shown the true limits of the light side's power and those who have seldom used it. The dark side of the Force brought with it a great temptation for many Jedi; to many the dark side seemed a quicker and easier path. Pursuit of the dark side, however, was a self-destructive endeavor, and many Jedi who tasted dark powers found it harder and harder to turn away. Though some Jedi could be redeemed back to the path of the light, many fell and became Dark Jedi, some of whom became members of the Sith Order. Further, the pall of the dark side could diminish Jedi ability, clouding their insights into important matters. For these reasons, practice of dark Force powers was expressly forbidden by the Jedi Council. Those fallen to the dark side, however, the Jedi tried to save. To the Jedi, killing was a last resort. This quality was at once a strength and a weakness of the Order. Jedi ranks :"What kind of nonsense is this?! Put me on the Council and not make me a Master? It's never been done in the history of the Jedi. It's insulting!" :―Anakin Skywalker As the Jedi instructed their members in the ways of the Jedi Code and the Force, each member progressed through four basic levels of rank. Hierarchy *'''''Jedi Initiate (or Youngling or "Jedi Hopeful") – a Force-sensitive child. Often a prospective Jedi was detected through blood sampling—those with great Force potential had high midi-chlorian counts in their bloodstream. At a very young age, children were removed from their families and assigned to the Jedi Temple for training. Younglings were taught in communal groups known as clans. At some points in history, this stage of training was also called the Jedi Apprentice stage. This was particularly true during the ancient wars when Jedi often started training older beings, and "Youngling" wouldn't fit. The older use of this term should not be confused with the Padawan stage. *''Jedi Padawan'' – an apprentice who began serious tutelage under a single Jedi Knight or Jedi Master. In order to graduate to Padawan status, an Initiate was required to be chosen by a Knight or Master and taken as their sole pupil. If a youngling was not chosen to be a Padawan by 13 years of age, the youngling was placed into another, lesser role in the Jedi Service Corps, or they could choose to leave the Order. Depending on where the student's talents lay, this might be the Agricultural Corps, the Medical Corps, or the Exploration Corps. Padawans who were of a haired species typically wore a long braid of hair behind their right ear. When a Padawan was elevated to Knighthood, the braid was cut during the knighting ceremony. At least a few Jedi, though, were elevated to Knighthood simply by being told that they had passed whatever trials were considered necessary—most notably Obi-Wan K enobi, and Vergere. Some exceptions of late acceptances to Padawan training were made, most notably in the case of Anakin Skywalker. In the days of the old Order, an Initiate could become a Padawan by passing less formal trials (understanding the Code, building a lightsaber, and facing a trial of the dark side itself)1. *''Jedi Knight'' – a disciplined Padawan could become a fully trained Jedi once they completed "the trials." The known trials were, but weren't limited to: the Trial of Flesh, the Trial of Courage, the Trial of Skill and the Trial of Self (also known as "facing the mirror"). *''Jedi Master'' – a Jedi Knight who showed great understanding of the Force and managed to instruct a Padawan and train them successfully to the level of a Jedi Knight. This title could also be achieved through the performance of extraordinary deeds, or retaking the trials. Self-proclamation of the Jedi Master title was rare and often frowned upon by the Jedi Council (for example: Jorus C'baoth and his unknown clone Joruus C'baoth). **''Councilor'' (or Council Member) – A very few Jedi were invited to serve on the Jedi Council, the governing body of the Order. The Council was made up exclusively of wise, experienced Masters. The only Jedi Knight to sit on the High Council, Anakin Skywalker, was appointed by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, although he was not granted the rank of Master simply because of this. Ki-Adi-Mundi served as a Councilor while undergoing the process of becoming a Master at the time of his invitation before Anakin, the Chosen One. The Council was made up of 12 masters, five of them holding life terms (two of them designated as "senior"), four holding long-terms, and three holding short-terms. **''Master of the Order'' – The title used to denote the leader of the Jedi High Council. This title was held by Mace Windu until the beginning of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, when he gave the title to Yoda.2 *''Grand Master'' – The highest rank of the Jedi Order was that of Grand Master. Yoda was once the Grand Master, as was Luke Skywalker following the Swarm War. A Jedi Knight or Jedi Master could have only one apprentice at a time, and the Padawan had to be promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight before another apprentice could be chosen. Several thousand years before the events of the Ruusan Reformation, however, masters were allowed to have more than one apprentice, as evidenced by Master Arca Jeth having three—the brothers Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma and the Twi'lek Tott Doneeta. When the New Jedi Order first began, Luke Skywalker had to assign several students to one master due to the few Jedi in the Order; for example, Kyle Katarn had Jaden Korr and Rosh Penin both assigned to him. During both of these vastly different time periods, the term "Padawan" was not used, thereby strengthening the association of the word with the one-master-one-student policy. The Jedi Code The''' Jedi Code''' was a code of conduct that established rules and modes of behavior for all Jedi. Although changing in style through the generations, the main tenets, context and meaning of the code stayed the same. One of the key portions of the Code was a five-line mantra. Several versions of the mantra exist, though the original version was: :Emotion, yet peace. :Ignorance, yet knowledge. :Passion, yet serenity. :Chaos, yet harmony. :Death, yet the Force. The refined version established by Odan-Urr was perhaps the best known: :There is no emotion, there is peace. :There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. :There is no passion, there is serenity. :(There is no chaos, there is harmony.)(*) :There is no death, there is the Force. :—The Jedi Code (Based on the meditations of Odan-Urr) (*)The fourth line "There is no chaos, there is harmony," is removed in some Jedi texts. At the Funeral of Mara Jade Skywalker, for instance, this line was omitted. The Jedi Code was rewritten by Grand Master Luke Skywalker upon reestablishing the Jedi Order in the Galaxy: :Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy. :Jedi use their powers to defend and to protect. :Jedi respect all life, in any form. :Jedi serve others rather than ruling over them, for the good of the galaxy. :Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training. Meaning of the Jedi Code *''There is no emotion, there is peace'' *:Emotions are a natural part of living. As the great sagas have shown us, Jedi are not immune to feeling emotions. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda both openly express their sorrow when they discover the death of younglings at the newly-appointed Darth Vader's hand. This tenet is not to say that emotion does not exist but that it ought to be set aside. Emotions must be understood first, and it is a young Jedi's duty to explore his feelings. Unless a Jedi can confront his thoughts and feelings, he will never achieve peace. Emotions, then, are not to be overcome or denied, but rather understood and dealt with. A'Sharad Hett reminds the young Anakin Skywalker of this during their campaigns together during the Clone Wars. Hett points out that Anakin's anger is understandable, but he must face it. This tenet could be modified to read "Emotion cannot take away my peace." *''There is no ignorance, there is knowledge'' *:A Jedi must be circumspective and try to understand the world that is surrounding him. That ignorance does not exist is, of course, a flat-out lie or gross misunderstanding. Simply ignoring facts that do not fit with one's viewpoint is equally foolhardy. Ignorance is a part of life but it must not be feared. For more knowledge to light their way, the Jedi Temple Archives contain possibly the single largest source of information in the galaxy, but this tenet also reminds the Knight that knowledge can be taken from the most unusual places. The great Master Yoda demonstrated this to the young Luke Skywalker on Dagobah when he acted like a fool, and when he acted childish in front of younglings. This performance was meant to teach Luke and the younglings the simple fact: even the foolish can be wise. Indeed, while instructing younglings, Master Yoda was often heard to remark that "Truly wonderful the mind of a child is." This tenet is what gives the Jedi his open mind and ability to accept what other beings would tend to see as unacceptable, unbounded by preconceived notions, unfettered by rigid thought, and unhampered by doubt. In other words, this tenet points out that often a Jedi must use not only his rational mind but also his intuitive mind in order to ascertain the truth of a situation. This tenet is embodied by Qui-Gon Jinn's statement to Anakin Skywalker to "feel, don't think." Dexter Jettster would further demonstrate this notion: "I should think you Jedi would have more respect for the difference between knowledge and wisdom." *''There is no passion, there is serenity'' *:This tenet is more than a repetition of the first. It refers more directly to situations of extreme stress in which a Jedi might be tempted to react strongly, or be so focused on the task and not the goal. That a Jedi must draw his weapon only in defense is an expression of this tenet, keeping all other options open. While emotions and intuition must be understood and utilized in a Jedi's daily life, they must be checked, lest the Jedi act rashly and lose objectivity. Passionate use of power leads to the dark side. A Jedi must always act with a calm hand and an even temper. "when in doubt, stay your hand", observing each situation as clearly as the Force sees it, not clouded with unbridled passion. *''There is no chaos, there is harmony'' *:This statement reflects the cosmology of the Jedi Order. Whereas uninitiated beings see the universe as a chaotic and disconnected place, a Jedi realizes that all things are interconnected and, more importantly, interdependent, in a never-ending cycle of balance. While an uninitiated being sees sorrow and tragedy in the workings of the universe, through the Force, a Jedi is able to interpret and understand even the most painful of life's events. Every event has a purpose. As the great Jedi Master Yoda told Anakin Skywalker once, "Death is a natural part of life." Minor inconveniences such as failure, disappointment, and disagreement are also inevitable and should be taken in stride. Jedi do not deny the fact that tragic and terrible things happen; they merely point out that tragedy is simply another part of life.This too leads to a balanced, objective, and realistic view of existence. *''There is no death, there is the Force'' *:A common argument is merely observing a thing affects a thing, preventing those ware of their own finite existence from truly seeing the world as the Force sees it. A Jedi, like many ancient feudal knights of various empires, must always be ready for death, and not obsess nor be ruled by it. As a warrior not only in combat but also in day-to-day life, it is easy to fail and fall, then rise up without distraction or attachment holding the Jedi back. As Qui-Gon Jinn pointed out to the young Anakin Skywalker, it is quite possible to kill a Jedi, and it happens often. The sense of loss is often even greater for one who feels it with the Force, and it is difficult to maintain equilibrium. Death, however, is not a tragedy and is merely a part of the life cycle. Without death, life could not exist. The Force in us, still lives on after we die. This tenet represents the view of the Jedi Order that accepts, indeed embraces, death and life, rot and growth, corruption and purity, not as opposites but as dual pairs, each can't exist without the other, as nature intends. As such, Jedi do not fear death nor do they mourn it overmuch; a Jedi, after all, must celebrate death if he is to also celebrate life. While sources disagree on this point, it is noteworthy to point out that this tenet does not support vegetarianism among the Jedi but, some scholars argue, it does in fact support omnivorism among Jedi, whatever life form does to survive. In one notable encounter, a Jedi continued to deal with Colicoids after a companion was slain and consumed, maintaining that if the Colicoids did not act thus, they would not be following their own path, and if he allowed sentiment to cloud his dealings, he too, would not be on his path either. This tenet is often quoted upon a Jedi's death, sometimes referring to becoming one with the force, or even as living forever as a force ghost. This tenet also reminds the Jedi that death is a transitory state for any living being and is not truly an end to one's life, but merely the beginning of the next stage of one's journey. Through the Force, existence continues both as a constant state of connection to all living things as well as through the state of afterlife which follows death. Death, as perceived by the living, is an illusion and the Jedi must strive to remember this, as it removes what is often seen as the ultimate instinctual fear. When the Jedi have accepted the natural place of their own ending as well as the knowledge that whether they prevail or fall, the Force will remain with them, it becomes easier for a Jedi to put those fears aside and focus on the matters at hand. New Jedi Order - 500 ABY After the New Jedi Order constructed by Luke Skywalker, a New Jedi Order was fully created under Grand Master Aurelias Kadarin. The New Order was fully created in 480 ABY, but then began to expand in 500 ABY reaching out to new planets and species accepting all those that had a Force Sensitivity. By 505 ABY the New Jedi Order was experiencing a Golden Age once again. Their trainers were fit and the learners came in large numbers, the number of Knights and Masters shot up 30% more than Luke's New Jedi Order. The New Order also experienced a better relation with the United Republic, and also a word in affairs in the United Republic Senate The First Encounter As the Galaxy closed in on 505 ABY a rumor began to spread of a group of radicalist calling themselves Cultists. These Cultists were presumed to begin operations of training others like them, and try to bring down the New Order as the highest threat. But this was wrong, and the true intentions were discovered by Jedi Master Veldiris while investigating a rumor about the Cult being on Raxus Prime. The Jedi Master obeserved a ritual of kind in trying to siffen the Dark Side at one of the ancient sites, as in the words of the Jedi Master: "The Cultist proceeded by reaching for a vibro-knife, and had stabbed himself in order to complete their ritual." These Cultists became a threat soon after the Council was informed of the event. The Grand Master ordered that some of the largest entities of Dark Side should be investigated in order to conclude their suspicions. Thier true intentions were found out; they were attempting to ressurect a dead Sith Lord in order to complete their small order. The Grand Master than ordered that all Jedi younglings and Jedi initiates were to stay at the temples unless accompanied by a Jedi Knight or Master. At first small teams were sent to investigate the sites to see if the Cultists hadn't already been there. Their orders were simple: Find the Dark Side site, Disarm any opposers, and Destroy the site. The first to be sent on a mission to one of these sites was a team of four jedi consisting a Jedi Master, a Jedi Knight, and 2 Padawans. They are as follows: Jedi Master Veldiris - Leader of the Team, Jedi Healer Sarah Starr, Jedi Padawan Lillian Talon, and Jedi Padawan Jace Vallin. What they discovered was most disturbing, at the site on Dathomir, they discovered that they were too late and the cultists had already moved onto another target. The team was able to get ahead of them at the next site on Korriban. There they encountered heavy resistance, a supposed academy had been built around the tomb and the Cultists certinely didn't want the jedi to stop them from their goal. The team did encounter a heavy resistance but also encountered a mental un-stabbability about the place. One example was when''' Jace Vallin''' went ahead of the group thinking that he would be able to take the cult on by himself. His foolishness ended up wounding Sarah Starr as a lightsaber punctured her shoulder. She wasn't seriously injured but the group didn't want any more slip ups, so they continued with caughten and moved in one unison. The group was able to disarm the large force of cultists, and were able to destroy the site. They also were able to capture one of the bigger cultists and bring him back to the academy on Yavin 4. The Assault The team returned to the Jedi Academy and were able to get some rest. Master Veldiris called in the Council '''to discuss the Cultists''' and their movements and to also question the Cultist they had captured. The cultist was unwilling to confess any information to the council, even intimidation. After hours of questioning the council still found no answers, and the cultist stood his ground. The cultist had been trained very well to stand agaisnt such questioning. The Grand Master finally concluded this, and said to the cultist "So, you are willing to die with this information?" "I see, then you have been trained well I can see this now, and there is no other way to get this information. If we were to just lock you up forever you would eventully die. And if we let you go you would just go back to causing havoc to the galaxy." The Grand Master paused, looked up at the cultist and finally said "Prove it." The Grand master un-clipped his lightsaber and handed it to the cultist. He said "You have some choices, Kill me and possibly get killed by the rest. Then again your training probably also says if you are captured you are to kill yourself. So you would die either way. Choose carefully." The cultist poundered for a second, but in the end the cultist attempted to stab the Grand Master, but failed and cultist's neck was snapped. The Grand Master looked down at the cultist, he retreived his lightsaber and looked back at the council.'' "I imagine that the cultists are after something alittle bigger, I'll be sending your team back out, Master Veldiris."'' The council was dismissed and the Grand Master departed. As the Grand Master '''returned from the Jungles of Yavin 4 he was met by a 2-4 cultists on their way to the entrance. They automaticlly attacked him, and they were defeated easily. The Grand Master looked back and '''Padawan Angelica was just leaving when the cultists were struck down. He said to her "Go back to the Academy! Tell the others that cultists have infiltrated our boundrys of the Academy!" The padawan stood their in shock, but she shook herself out of it and ran back inside of the Academy, she ran to the center of the square and yelled "The Cultists are attacking!" The Jedi immeditally reacted, they shuffled the younglings into secured rooms with a couple of Jedi Knights. A council member ran to the security room and waited for the Grand Master to quickly get back inside. But the Cultists began to swarm out of jungle and the only thing stopping them from entering was the Grand Master. The first wave of cultists consisted of 20-30 cultists, The Grand Master sent a Force Wave at the them and they flew back into the on rushing crowds of Cultists. He prepered himself for the assault, he unclipped his lightsaber and began to fight the group. He twisted and stabbed the first cultist behind the back as he twirrled the saber and slised the next cultist. He ducked, dodging a saber strike, and sent the cultst swirling toward the others. He blocked several attacks from 3 cultists and he knew he had to retreat back inside. He Force Pushed the cultists back, and ran inside. He comlinked the security center that he had entered the academy, and the Blast doors sealed behind him. This would only hold back the cultists for a couple of minutes. He ran to the square and met up with the large group of jedi. The doors bashed in and out as they were slammed onto. The Blast sheild door fell and the cultists flooded in. The jedi ran at the cultists and the battle commenced. Holes in the walls appeared as the Force Blasts were deflected or slammed a Jedi or cultist into the wall. Bodies began to litter the square as Jedi and Cultist alike fell. But the Cultist had years to up their numbers and their influence was great with the Under world. The Grand Master yelled "Retreat Jedi! Retreat back to the Council chamber! There we will make our stand!" the Jedi had faught back several waves of Cultists before retreating into the Chambers. The Grand Master panted, as well as several other Jedi. A couple of Council members had been on the planet at the time and were also there. The Grand Master looked back at the hand full of Jedi Knights and Masters. Then looked at the padawans who had been put in the sealed doors. He sighed and pondered for awhile. But the two blast doors wouldn't hold back the horde of the Cultists for long. He looked back at the padawans, he shook his head. Then nodded. He said "Let the Padawans fight, its time for them to experience battle." The Padawans nodded, and readed themselves. They all stood there with ignited lightsabers and focused at the last blast door. The door fell and the Grand Master yelled "Charge jedi! Meet them head on!" He ran at the cultists and sent several'' Force Blasts'' at the Cultists punching a hole in the horde. Master Veldiris also sent a force blast to back up the Grand Master's. The Jedi ran at the cultists and the battle insued, the echos of lightsaber clashes, walls cracking, and floors bashing rang without the Academy. The Cultists began to loose ground, and their numbers had decreased drasticlly for numbers alone cannot defeat skill. The Cultists were beaten back to the Temple's entrance and retreated into the Jungle. The Jedi smiled and cheered, for they had won the battle. But who has truely won? The Grand Master pondered as he walked back inside of Temple while others cheered, before having to go and help burry the dead, sending the Jedi and cultists to the Force. The Jedi Strike Back After the assault on the very grounds of their Academy, the Jedi Council held a meeting at the High temple on Coruscant there they discussed the Cultists. Knowing that the cultists are now a legit threat and that an Academy location had been comprimised, they had to act to dispose of the Cultists and their evil plans. The Council received word that the Cultists had uncovered a very ancient sarcophagus and they were going to attempt to ressurect the ancient Sith Lord withen the tomb. After a small delibiration, the Council decided to send a Jedi Strike Force to route the cultists from the location.They knew they would need a very select squadron of jedi in order to stop the cultists this time. The cultists by now would have fortified the location and would be waiting. The council once again called upon Jedi Master Veldiris, Jedi Healer Sarah Starr, Padawan Lillian Talon, and Padawan Jace Vallin. The council also sent Jedi Archeologist Tynos Riller, Jedi Elder Wyrtocca, Jedi Padawan Angelica, and Jedi Knight Arindoch. The Jedi Strike team arrived on Korriban and moved into the deep catacombs in order to stop the cultists. The Jedi Strike team didn't get very far until they encountered a very large number of Cultists. The battle commenced and engulfed the dusty halls with new bodies, and fresh blood. The Battle ensued until the other jedi created a distraction for Master Veldiris, Healer Sarah Starr, Lillian Talon, and Padawan Jace Vallin to destroy the tomb. There they encountered the Leader of the Cultists, the information is un-reliable but the Cultists Leader was known as Kandos Siin with his right hand man Strilath Fel. The Two were powerful for cultists, and they fought off the 4 for some time, until the others distracted the Cultists and Master Veldiris destroyed the ceiling over the tomb, burrying the Tomb once again. The Jedi were victorious for now, but for how long? This still was a question yet to be. Lost The Strike Team returned to the temple on Corellia there they rested for some time. Alot of the Jedi then moved to the New temple constructed on Taris and there the Grand Master resided for some time. The Grand Master often sat inside of a lab for hours, maybe even days. No one really knows what he was doing, and maybe no one was ment to find out, but for whatever reason he was working on something very diligently. Whenever the Grand Master exited the lab it was for his health, or something else was catching his attention in the Galaxy. Some of the Council members thought he was working on something evil, but most of the others respected the Grand Master for his diligent work and proceeded to think he was doing something for the Jedi Order. After a very long trip to the Outer-rim the Grand Master was returning home to Taris and he was sending his docking codes to the temple when his ship suddenly stopped, took a u-turn and hyperspaced away.This act concered the Jedi on duty at the time, and also confirmed some of the suspicions others had. The Council decided to send a Very Large force of Jedi after the Grand Master to his supposed destination. But, what disturbed the council the most was his destination..Malachor V A desolete planet that had been cracked into three pieces after the Mass Shadow Generator shattered it. Why would the Grand Master venture so far out to a shattered planet? The council had deliberated his motions for doing so, but found no answers. The Jedi strike team had consisted of the members that had first taken out the other large force earlier. But also consisted of several others, all trying to find the Grand Master on the surfice of the shattered world. They tracked the Grand Master's ship by trojectory and found his Star Fighter outside of a large cave. The shuttles landed and the group formed by the cave entrance. Master Veldiris montioned for everyone to follow him into the caves. They traveled for maybe minutes that felt like ages, and finally filtered into a dark hall. It seemed that a very old academy was below the surfice of the world. The hall way was lit by a few torches, and illuminated the cob-webs. Master Veldiris stated "Everyone keep close, we don't know how these halls go. They good stretch on for miles. If you get lost, try to find anything about this place, and then turn on the tracking beacons. We'll keep track of eachother this way." The others nodded and did so. The Jedi came to a cross roads. They were divided into three groups. 4 to each. The group that accompinied Master Veldiris went straight ahead, and were stummbling upon other small tombs. It seemed that the Sith had burried themselves, awaiting a signal of sorts. The other groups stummbled onto similar sites, one group encountered a torture hall of sorts, it had 6 rooms each consisting of a different type of mechinisum to torture. The other stummbled upon training rooms, and small archive. The Jedi soon realized that the place once used to a Sith Academy, long forgoten. Master Veldiris with Elder Wyrtocca and Sarah Starr with Padawan Angelica as well as the tagged along Archeologist Tynos Riller, walked a very long hall way. They walked it for what seemed like hours, until they heard something behind them. a rustle of wind, or a stone that had been moved. Something was watching them, and it made them feel un-easy. The Jedi walked alittle further until a lightsaber igniting was heard. The Jedi ignited and looked behind them. Kandos Siin and a few cultists were staring right at them. The Cultists had been tracking the jedi since they entered the academy and had been hiding the whole time. The Cultists charged them, as well as the other groups. They encountered heavy fighting on all sides. Master Veldiris and Elder Wyrtocca went ahead, as the groups were merging together again. They walked to the end of the hall until they looked at a Large door. They looked at the large door and attempted to open it, but it didn't budge. So they looked around for something to open it. Master Wyrtocca searched through the Force and found a hidden seal. He picked it up, and placed it on the door. They door creaked and made sounds of various locks un-latching. The door slowly opened and dust covered the way. They entered and there stood the Grand Master over a sarcophagus. The Sarcophagus was un-usually decorated, and other things sorounded it, texts were on the walls in a different language, and the tomb was glowing bright red. The Grand Master looked over the tomb, took something out of his robes, looked at the figure, then turned around placing whatever he had back into his robes. The Masters looked at his with shock. They expected him to be in some danger yet he was there in one piece, and what about the Cultists how did they know that they would be coming? Master Veldiris assumed the worst and said: "What have you done? Do you know what you have done?!" the Grand Master looked puzzled, and then grinned saying "This man has been dead for centuries there is no chance he will come back, I discovered something while in my research thats why I have come here." Master Veldiris looked at Elder Wyrtocca and they both were not amused. They looked at the Grand Master, and then something caught their eye. A hand was reaching out and then layed onto the side of the lid of the sarcophagus. Their eyes widended, and then Master Veldiris screamed "Master Kadarin! Look out! Behind you!" The Grand master jumped away, and then turned to them smiling. He force blasted them out of the room and collapsed the entrance. The Grand Master turned to the figure. He un-clipped his saber, and stared at the being. The figure had dust falling off of his ancient armor. His face was covered by a mask and his hood covered the eye slites in the mask. The Grand Master squinted and then charged at the figure. He swung down at the being, the figure grabbed his arms before he landed the blow, and then twisted his body and hands around. He turned over the Grand Master's hand and the Grand Master Stabbed himself. The Lightsaber sizzled as it went through his chest and the Grand Master fell to his knees. The Figure pulled the saber out his chest, and the Grand Master fell, Dead. The Figure just chuckled and looked around the room. ... The Escape